Back in 1961, the leaders of an international agribusiness and investment company called the Continental Grain Company (now ContiGroup Companies) launched their own philanthropic foundation to channel charitable giving. ContiGroup Companies’ current CEO and chairman, Paul J. Fribourg, leads the foundation’s efforts today and is part of the sixth generation of his family to lead the company. Fribourg has been in this top spot since 1976 and is currently in his late 60s.
To get to know this company foundation better, here are some details about what the Continental Grain Foundation (CGF) supports in New York and how much these grantees are getting.
Main focus areas
The Continental Grain Foundation does not have a website, which limits transparency and accessibility. But based on past tax records, we know that CGF prioritizes education, health, Jewish causes and community programs. The majority of grants go toward education, especially schools that the family has a personal connection to. For example, Harvard Business School, which Fribourg attended, has received large CGF donations.
Meanwhile, CGF health grants often support cancer research, Alzheimer’s research and brain science. The family is affiliated with the Jewish faith—grants go to various Jewish organizations, such as the Hebrew Home for the Aged and the Jewish Agency for Israel. Occasionally, we have seen an arts and culture grant come from CGF, especially for well-established New York City institutions like Carnegie Hall and MoMA.
Geographic interests
New York City is a major interest for CGF and is where the foundation is headquartered. However, the foundation does not limit its funding to New York. CGF almost exclusively keeps its grantmaking on the east coast of the U.S., but this extends to areas of New Jersey, Washington D.C., Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Massachusetts and Virginia. Other communities in New York state that receive grants include Hawthorne, White Plains and Far Rockaway.
Fribourg has foreign policy and international security interests as well, which may influence future grantmaking. He is a long-time member of the Council on Foreign Relations and regularly supports the organization.
No unsolicited requests
Grantseekers should know that CGF does not accept unsolicited grant applications and only funds preselected groups. It is run by a board of directors but does not have paid staff or make itself particularly accessible to nonprofits seeking funds. CGF typically awards less than half a million dollars per year in grants, and these grants have mostly ranged between $100 and $25,000 lately.
Here at IP, you can learn even more about Paul J. Fribourg, CGF’s New York City grantmaking and other funders that give steadily in the Tri-State region.